Almost 2 years after the introduction of the non-working Sunday in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the possibility is once again being considered that some shops could operate on the last day of the week as well.

According to the proposal currently being discussed, smaller family-owned shops could operate on Sundays, while large retail chains would remain closed. As reported by N1 BiH, citing statements by the president of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of BiH, Samir Kurtović, representatives of employers and trade unions have already discussed possible amendments, but a final agreement has not yet been reached.

Why was the non-working Sunday introduced in the first place?

The non-working Sunday in the Federation of BiH was introduced on 17 November 2024, after the new Law on Internal Trade came into force. The main goal was to provide shop employees with a shared day off that they could spend with their families.

The ban applies to most shops, including supermarkets and large retail chains. However, certain exceptions were envisaged from the start, including bakeries, flower shops, souvenir shops, and retail outlets at petrol stations and within transport terminals.

Almost 2 years later, the question is once again being raised whether such a restriction should apply equally to all retailers.

Smaller shops could be granted permission to operate

According to Kurtović, one of the options being considered is to allow smaller private shops to operate on Sundays, but only if they are staffed by the owners or members of their families.

This would allow smaller retailers to do business on Sundays as well, without requiring employees who are not family members to come to work. Large retail chains, under that proposal, would still not be allowed to operate.

A similar view was also expressed by the president of the Trade and Service Activities Union of BiH, Mersiha Beširović, who believes that such an exception could be an acceptable compromise.

However, for now this is only a possible solution. No general change to the rules on Sunday work has yet been adopted.

Workers are not unanimous about the ban either

The issue of the non-working Sunday has also divided employees themselves. While some believe that a shared day off allows them better rest and more time with their families, others would prefer to work on Sundays if they were paid more for it. Kurtović confirmed to N1 that the union is also receiving requests from workers who want the possibility of additional earnings. Some of them believe that Sunday work would be acceptable with a supplement of at least 50% to the regular salary.

Because of differing views among the union's member organizations, a common position on possible amendments still has to be agreed.